USF Athletics

Bulls Team Up With U.S. Rep. Castor, Local Survivor to Raise Breast Cancer Awareness

June 19, 2018

By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, JUNE 19, 2018 – USF softball jumped at the opportunity to join the fight against breast cancer by hosting a special event on Monday morning.

Head coach Ken Eriksen and a few of his student-athletes welcomed U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, local breast cancer survivor LeJean Michelle Miller and her supportive family to USF Softball Stadium for a fun-filled practice session for a great cause.

U.S. Rep. Castor will be honoring Miller while playing in the 10^th annual Congressional Women's Softball Game on Wednesday night, when the women of Congress take on the women of the DC press corps in Washington, D.C. The ultimate goal of the game is to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer, especially among a specific age group.

"We say, 'beat the press,' but it's really about beating cancer. We're raising awareness about breast cancer diagnosis in young women," Castor said. "Over 10 percent of breast cancer diagnosis are among young women under 40. These are young women who aren't doing mammograms on a regular basis. It's not in their mindset to be diagnosed with breast cancer, but young women have to be aware what runs in their family."

Decked out in her softball uniform and pink accented cleats, Castor felt fully prepared for the big game after getting tips from the coach of Team USA. Eriksen threw pitches to Castor and was pleased with numerous line drives to the back of the batting cage on top of the representative's skills in the field.

"It's pretty obvious she's a five-tool player. She can run, run for speed, hit, hit for power, plays defense and she's got a good arm," Eriksen said with a smile. "She's very impressive today and if she had an eligibility left, we'd probably be offering a scholarship at this point."

Following the action, sun-filled USF Softball Stadium served as a place for the group to bring more awareness to an important cause. According to BreastCancer.org, about one in eight women in the United States (about 12.4 percent) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of their lifetime.

Miller has battled multiple forms of cancer since getting a breast cancer diagnosis at age 29 in 2001 and appreciates Castor's willingness to go to bat for her at this week's important event.

"I'm ecstatic about it. I think she's doing a major thing because a lot of young people don't understand cancer is real," said Miller, who is currently in her fifth battle with cancer. "… My daughter is 19 and I even have her tested. I carry the mutation gene, so it runs in my family. A lot of people don't understand cancer is genetic."

Miller, a kindergarten teacher's aide at Just Elementary, is one of numerous members of her family to fight cancer. Miller lost her mother to breast cancer in 1993 and her father, Les, successfully won his battle.

Hillsborough County Commissioner and a USF alum, Les was on hand at USF Softball Stadium to help relay the message about how cancer can affect many loved ones.

"(LeJean's) mother died of cancer. My father died of prostate cancer and her other grandfather died of prostate cancer. We knew then that we had to keep a watchful eye on her," he said. "… It's one of those things that we try to let people know that early detection saves lives. It's not a killer with early detection."

Click HERE to get more information on the Congressional Women's Softball Game.
 
About USF Softball
Be sure to follow USF softball on social media (Twitter / Facebook / Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information. The USF softball program has been one of the most successful on campus, making 12 NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the Women's College World Series in 2012.